Black Sox overcome Razorbacks in 8-6 victory
CONWAY, Ark.—Bryant returned the task of double-dipping the only unbeaten team in the American Legion Arkansas state tournament.
The Black
Sox, who were beaten twice last summer by the Red
River Credit
Union/TABA
Texarkana
Razorbacks for the state title, followed
Saturday's
13-4 win over the Hogs with an 8-6 victory Sunday at Hendrix
College.
Bryant (346) advances to the Mid-South Regional in New Orleans, starting Wednesday. Texarkana, the defending World Series champion, end its season at 32-10.
It was Bryant's fifth state championship in 11 years and denied the Hogs their fifth in eight seasons.
"We put ourselves in position to win, it just didn't play out in our hands today," Razorback head coach Dane Peavy said. "I've got to give my team an absolute wonderful effort. Any time that you fall behind five to a team like Bryant, which plays good defense, and you have to fight and claw your way back in it, it takes a heckuva job."
Patrick Flanagan was the hard-luck loser after the Sox scored six unearned runs in the fourth. Flanagan threw 82
pitches in 3 2-3 innings, gave up eight hits and seven runs—just one earned.
Justin Swecker worked 4 1-3 innings of 1-hit ball, fanned six, walked three and gave up one run.
Will McEntire pitched six innings for the win, throwing 104 pitches. He was touched up for nine hits and two runs, struck out five and walked one.
The Razorbacks got to McEntire in the first with consecutive singles from Riley Orr, Matt Goodheart and John Michael Russ, whose line drive to right drove in Orr.
The Sox tied the score in the bottom of the third with two outs. Following a 2-out walk, Logan Allen smashed a pitch off the wall in the left-field corner for an RBI double.
"The thing about this group is that it's not the most talented group I've ever had, by any means," Black Sox coach Darren Hurt said. "We don't have the top-end pitching we've had, but we've got a lot of guys who go out there and compete on the mound. They give us a chance, and if we play good defense behind them, we're tough to beat."
Texarkana answered in the next half inning.
Beau Burson's scorching grounder past the bag at third was fielded by a diving Scott Schmidt, but Burson was safe on the play.
Kade Garmany lined a single to center, and Logan Vidrine plated Burson with a single to shortstop. Garmany was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, and Goodheart was 3 for 5 and was named the Hitter of the Year following the game.
In the bottom of the fourth Bryant loaded the bases with two outs, and Jake Wright singled to third to drive in a pair, giving the Black Sox a 3-2 lead. Allen, who was named the Most Valuable Player, followed with a liner down the right-field line to score another.
Jake East lined a single to center to drive in a pair, Seth Tucker followed with a single, and Dylan Hurt—the 10th batter of the inning—doubled to left to drive in the sixth run of the frame.
Reliever Swecker was able to get the third out on a flyout to left.
It remained 7-2 Sox until the eighth inning.
Russ lined a single into right field to start the inning, and Cole Boyd lifted a soft liner to center. Burson singled to left to load the bases, prompting a pitching change.
Garmany's single to right-center drove in two runs, Tyler Moreland's groundout score another, and Parker Ribble plated the fourth run of the inning with a bouncing single to center.
The Razorbacks got a leadoff single from Goodheart to start the ninth, but a double play—the fourth of the game— erased the runner. A flyout to deep center field ended the state tournament.
Every Texarkana starter got a hit as the Hogs out-hit Bryant, 15-9. Moreland, Burson and Russ each had two hits.
"My hat's off to those guys over there (Bryant); they played a great game," Peavy said. "It was a well=played game, a clean game for the most part. We got 15 hits, and it comes down to we've got to score more runs than they do. We just didn't get it done today." Texarkana Razorbacks100 100040 — 6 15 2 Bryant Black Sox 001 60001x — 8 9 0 Patrick Flanagan, Justin Swecker (4) and Kade Garmany. Will McEntire Boston Heil (7), Beaux Bonvillain (8) and Dylan Hurt. WP-McEntire. LP-Flanagan.